NPD Technologist

Blackbook Recruitment; Campbelltown; On-site; AUD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackbook Recruitment is sourcing an early-career Food Technologist to build NPD experience in a growing Australian food manufacturing operation. The Sydney site is expanding, bringing new products and customers, and this hands-on role runs factory trials and scale-up to commercial launch.

You will work closely with Production and QA to troubleshoot on the factory floor, record results, and move products through the development-to-launch pathway while building broader NPD capabilities.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science or Food Technology is required.
• 1–3 years' experience in food manufacturing, NPD, QA or a related technical role.
• Practical on-site experience in a food manufacturing facility.
• Exposure to factory or production trials, product development, or launches.
• Good understanding of food safety, GMP and Australian requirements.

Responsibilities

• Plan, prepare and run factory trials for new and existing products.
• Support scale-up, first production and commercial launches.
• Replicate benchtop products at factory scale and assess feasibility.
• Record and analyse trial results to identify improvements.
• Troubleshoot issues on the factory floor with Production and QA.
• Coordinate product testing across shelf life, sensory, microbiological and quality requirements.
• Assist with product specifications, ingredient declarations and nutritional information.
• Support packaging trials and changes.
• Maintain NPD documentation and ensure compliance with food safety and customer requirements.
• Collaborate across NPD, Production, QA, Packaging, Supply Chain and Commercial teams to progress projects.

Skills

Food science knowledge

NPD experience

On-site factory experience

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science or Food Technology

Job description

An opportunity for an early-career Food Technologist to build their NPD experience within a growing Australian food manufacturing operation, with significant activity across grocery and QSR customers.

The Sydney site is going through an exciting period of growth, bringing new products, customers and manufacturing capability into the facility. As a result, we're looking for a hands-on NPD Technologist who enjoys being close to production and wants to develop their career through practical factory experience.

Working alongside an experienced Senior NPD Technologist and wider technical and operational teams, you'll play an important role in taking products from development into successful commercial production.

This is very much an on-the-tools NPD position - running factory trials, supporting scale-up, assessing product performance and working directly with Production and QA to get products successfully through to launch.

The Role

You'll support NPD and commercialisation activity across the Sydney site, including:

• Plan, prepare and run factory trials for new and existing products
• Support products through scale-up, first production and commercial launch
• Replicate benchtop products at factory scale and assess manufacturing feasibility
• Record and analyse trial results, identifying opportunities to improve product and process performance
• Work closely with Production and QA to troubleshoot issues on the factory floor
• Coordinate product testing across shelf life, sensory, microbiological and quality requirements
• Assist with product specifications, ingredient declarations, nutritional information and allergen requirements
• Support packaging trials and implementation of product or process changes
• Maintain accurate NPD documentation and ensure projects meet food safety, regulatory and customer requirements
• Work across NPD, Production, QA, Packaging, Supply Chain and Commercial teams to keep projects progressing

About You

We're looking for someone who already understands what it means to work within a food manufacturing environment and is now looking to build deeper experience across NPD, trials and commercialisation.

You'll ideally bring:

• A degree in Food Science, Food Technology or a related discipline
• Around 1-3 years' experience within food manufacturing, NPD, food technology, QA or a related technical position
• Practical experience working on-site within a food manufacturing facility
• Some exposure to factory or production trials, product development, process improvement or new product launches
• A good understanding of food safety, GMP and Australian food manufacturing requirements
• Confidence working directly with Production and other factory-based teams
• Good communication skills and the ability to build relationships across different functions
• Strong organisation and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• A practical, curious and solutions-focused approach to problems
• A genuine interest in developing your career within NPD and food manufacturing

Experience within ready-to-eat, chilled, high-care or short shelf-life food manufacturing would be advantageous, but isn't essential.

We're equally interested in candidates currently working in QA or another technical factory role who have gained exposure to trials/NPD and are looking to make product development a bigger part of their career.

Why Join?

• Build genuine factory NPD experience - get hands-on ownership of trials, scale-up and launches rather than being limited to administrative or benchtop development.
• Join during significant growth - the Sydney operation is expanding across grocery and QSR, creating exposure to a busy pipeline of new products and manufacturing activity.
• Learn and progress - work alongside an experienced Senior NPD Technologist, with support from the wider NPD function while developing the capability to take on greater project ownership over time.
• See your work reach production - you'll be close to the factory floor and directly involved in turning product concepts into commercially manufactured products.

Location: Sydney

Working arrangement: 100% on-site

If you're an early-career Food Technologist with hands-on food manufacturing experience who wants to build stronger NPD, factory trial and commercialisation capability, we'd be keen to hear from you.